Lily is 8! Oh, Happy Day!

YAY! She has been waiting for this day since she turned 7! We had her birthday party at "Brush With Art". It is a great place where you paint sweet little ceramic things.....my kids LOVE it! Big wishes.......

Her crazy family...... Sweet friends~ I love these girls!

Seth, the artist!

Sweet Sisters!

It REALLY is all about you, Cupcake!

Daddy and her before the big ear piercing! It was all she wanted for her 8th birthday! And, all she has talked about since her 7th birthday! She was so very excited!The first one goes in.......The brave girl......finished! Emma was the one that cried! No tears! Only joy!

My big 8 year old on her big day!

Big cookie for school! With a cat, of course!

And then, a date at the Rock N Roll Soda Shoppe with her good friend Andrew Greene and his sister, Ashley. He paid for her ice cream! It was so sweet!

So very sweet!

My big girl~ I cannot believe she is 8! What a wonderful ride we have had together. She has taught us how to hope and believe......and what faith is really all about!

We made personal pizzas out of biscuits for her birthday dinner!

Happy Birthday, Princess! We love you!

So happy you are mine! <3

Lots of Love.....

Oh, how i love LOVE! This month has been full of it at the Green House!

I love watching the kids make their Valentines! It brings back such good childhood memories. Drinking hot cocoa, with snow outside..... and picking that special one for each friend. Seth took great care and wanted to write every child's name on each one. And, of course, signed it with that precious "Seth"! I love his handwriting! Does it have to change? Ever?

and.....

Hanna made the decision to be baptized.....again. She has come so far in her walk and has really understood the Love of God in a real and personal way this year. She felt so sure about being baptized........as a changed daughter of the King! How could we deny her that? What a witness she has been for me.....and so many! We really have no idea how many she touched by this act of obedience! Some things are mysteries.......but, this I know for sure.......... His love is so real, so much more than I can stand...........it is deep and wide and His love endures forever. It is new every morning! And, the King is enthralled with her beauty! She is HIS!

Valentine's Day brought us more love! We just adore this holiday....it forces us to love....even when we don't feel like it! Somedays, it is a challenge! These blessings remind me that I can do nothing BUT love........ Emma and Hanna before our "Girls Night Out" at the ballet........

Sweet little pockets full of love.......Valentines from friends......and school parties!

sweet love.......Lily performing at her Valentine's Day concert/dance. What a fun night this was! She was alllll smiles! They even did a little signing! My Funny Valentine........And.......

My Sweetheart!......and crab legs! Love them! This is part of the wonderful Valentine's Day dinner my sweetie cooked for our family! And.....SNOW! I love snow! We have had a lot of it this winter! Good things!

And, this is Lily's scarf that Aunt Janet made her for her birthday.........it's pretty and pink.....just the way she likes it!

LOVE THAT!

Snowed In!

Isn't amazing how things can change so quickly? Just yesterday, we were running around, busy with all of our activities, in the 65 degree weather, just trying to keep our head above water with the homework and ballet and groceries and church and more homework and bedtime......

And then, with one drop of frozen liquid from the sky.....it is all put on hold! We slow down. We take the day off from our crazy schedules and GLADLY stay home. We stay in our pajamas all day. We even forget what day it is. We put puzzles together....till they are done. We play games. We cook yummy snacks and full meals. We snuggle on the couch and don't look at the clock. It is amazing to me how quickly WE change. And, change to a pace that we love.

So happy to be snowed in. So happy we get one more day at home and then the weekend! So happy that our little vacation came with much anticipation and satisfaction. So glad we are all home safe. So blessed we have heat! And food! And family! AND TV!!!

....and then, in a few days, it will all be back to normal......and we will be ready! Thank you, God, that you know just what we need!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.....

.....whether I'm ready or not! We've had a good month leading up to this crazy time of year! Nutcracker Ball, costume fittings, rehearsals, THANKSGIVING, decorating, Freeze Modeling at the mall in Amarillo...... I guess this is God's way of slowly preparing my body, soul and mind for NUTCRACKER!!!! It is really NUTS, alright! Long nights of practice, sorry attitudes (some from my girls, some from me), bad hair days because they are sleeping in till the last moment......but, all to lead up to this beautiful gift we are giving the community.....called "The Nutcracker"! Having Emma, Hanna AND Lily in it this year has made it interesting, to say the least. I didn't think it could get any crazier.....HELLOOOOOOO!

Nutcracker Ball.....ballet friends.....only Emma and I went.....trying to reduce the crazy factor just a bit..........

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Gretchen and Bobby and their family. It was a fun, fabulous time! The kids always have fun with their cousins. And, I love having my sister here! We even managed to drag Bobby out for an all-nighter of shopping the Black Friday sales! Oh, what fun.....

Freeze Modeling at Westgate Mall......so much fun! People were amazed at the beauty of the costumes and the magnificent models! LOVED IT!

AND......our first snow! Nov. 30th! Sooooooo fun!

So, in the next 2 weeks, please pray for me when you think of me. I will need it! If you are in our area, we'd love for you to come and see. Shows are Friday, Dec. 13th thru Sunday, Dec. 15th. Let me know if you do get to come so we can meet you in the hallway and get some illeagal pictures with the girls in costume! And, yes, I have resorted to being a rule-breaker! That's where all of the fun comes.....and as a Nutcracker mom....you NEED to have some fun!